


Promises

by mithrel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Blanket Permission, Gen, Podfic Welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-05-03
Updated: 2009-05-03
Packaged: 2017-10-27 12:09:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/295708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mithrel/pseuds/mithrel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy's thoughts after the final battle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promises

The Weasleys stand around Fred’s body. His mother is crying, his father is in shock. George looks…he looks _dead_ inside (Percy shakes the thought away) as if he’d looked into the depths of Hell and heard the devil calling his name (again Percy shakes his head to rid himself of the morbid image).

And it’s all his fault.

He knows the others don’t see it that way, that they don’t blame him, but it’s the truth.

One of the things about growing up in a big family, you have to look out for each other. His mother couldn’t keep an eye on them all, and so she made each of them promise, as she brought their younger sibling home, to look after them. Bill took care of Charlie, Charlie took care of Percy, Percy took care of Fred and George, and on down the line.

Or at least, that’s how it was supposed to work. Percy had always felt he got the short end of the stick, as far as that was concerned, having to look after two instead of one, and each of those as troublesome as two _normal_ people; but he tried his best. Until he’d finally got sick of it; sick of the pranks, sick of the snide jokes, sick of being a _Weasley._ He’d been blinded by his own ambition, had abandoned his family, abandoned his promise. By rights, they shouldn’t have accepted him back. If he’d been there, George might not have lost an ear.

And then he was a complete _idiot, joking_ in the middle of battle, distracting Fred at the critical moment so he…he…

He fought against the tears. He broke his promise, and now one of his little brothers was gone forever, and the other was…shattered inside, broken far more than physically.

For what it’s worth, Percy swears that he will never break another promise.


End file.
